Delia pruinosa (Zetterstedt, 1845)

Diptera, Anthomyiidae

mine

In the older literature the species has been described as a leaf miner, but it has turned out as a seed predator. A single egg is deposited on the narrow base of a petal, inside the calyce, and the freshly emerged larva penetrates the ovary via a nectary; a single capsule is eaten out. The can fall victim to the much larger caterpillars of the genus Hadena (Noctuidae), that also live on Silene seed, but empty as much as 20 capsules.

hostplants

Caryophyllaceae; monophagous

Silene vulgaris.

BENELUX

Not known from the Benelux countries (PESI, 2017).

distribution within Europe

From Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and from Britain to Poland (PESI, 2017).

synonyms

Delia flavifrons Zetterstedt, 1860..

references

Ackland & Pont (1969a), Petterson (1992a) .

29/03/2017